Junior Mints are the delicious combination of cool creamy mint with a dark chocolate coating. The popular candy has been around since 1949. But are Junior Mints vegan? Unfortunately, Junior Mints are not vegan as they contain animal products.
At first glance Junior Mints appear vegan as they do not contain any dairy products. So what is the problematic ingredient that's not part of the vegan lifestyle? Read on to find out more information. All ingredients and nutritional information can be found on the Junior Mints website.
Ingredients in Junior Mints
But what exactly is in Junior Mints that keeps them out of a vegan diet? Check out the ingredient list below. Any non-vegan ingredients are in bold.
Junior Mints Ingredients: Sugar, Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate Processed with Alkali, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin-An Emulsifier, Vanillin-An Artificial Flavor), Corn Syrup, Confectioner's Glaze, Food Starch-Modified, Peppermint Oil, Invertase (An Enzyme).
Unfortunately, Junior Mints contain confectioner's glaze which is a common ingredient in candy with a shiny coating. It also is an animal product.
What is Confectioner's Glaze?
But what is confectioner's glaze and why isn't it vegan? According to tasteforlife.com, "Confectioner's glaze, also known as pharmaceutical glaze, is used by numerous candy companies to add a shiny, smooth finish on their products. It's made using shellac, but shellac is made of bug secretions" from the lac bug.
It's a lot more appetizing for a company to list confectioner's glaze instead of female lac bugs secretions. Want to learn more about confectioner's glaze? Check out What to Know About Confectioner's Glaze from Taste For Life to read more about it.
Junior Mints Products
Regular Junior Mints are not vegan. But what about other Junior Mints food products? Junior Mints also come in Minis and in Deluxe which are about twice the size of regular Junior Mints. Unfortunately, both are not vegan.
There are also some seasonal varieties of Junior Mints. Each ingredients list is below but unfortunately none of the varieties are vegan.
- Junior Mints Minis Ingredients: Sugar, Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate Processed with Alkali, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin-An Emulsifier, Vanillin-An Artificial Flavor), Corn Syrup, Confectioner's Glaze, Food Starch-Modified, Peppermint Oil, Invertase (An Enzyme).
- Junior Mints Deluxe Ingredients: Semi-Sweet Chocolate {Sugar, Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, And Soy Lecithin (An Emulsifier)}, Sugar, Palm Kernel Oil, Maltodextrin, Invert Sugar Syrup, Sorbitol, Invertase (An Enzyme), Polysorbate 60 And Mono And Diglycerides (Emulsifiers), Peppermint Oil, Potassium Sorbate, BHT And Citric Acid To Preserve Freshness, Milk.
- Junior Mints Eggs (Easter) Ingredients: Sugar, Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate Processed with Alkali, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin-An Emulsifier, Vanillin-An Artificial Flavor), Corn Syrup, Confectioner's Glaze, Titanium Dioxide, Food Starch-Modified, Peppermint Oil, Artificial Colors (Including FD&C Red 40 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Blue 1, Yellow 5), Invertase (An Enzyme).
- Junior Mints Valentine Hearts Ingredients: Sugar, Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate Processed with Alkali, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin-an Emulsifier, Vanillin-an Artificial Flavor), Corn Syrup, Confectioner's Glaze, Food Starch-Modified, Peppermint Oil, Invertase (an Enzyme), Artificial Color (FD&C Red 40).
- Junior Mints Peppermint Crunch Ingredients: Sugar, Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate Processed with Alkali, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin-an Emulsifier, Vanillin-an Artificial Flavor), Corn Syrup, Flaked Corn, Yellow Corn Flour, Palm Oil, Corn Starch, Confectioner's Glaze, Food Starch-Modified, Peppermint Oil, Invertase (an Enzyme), Invert Sugar Syrup, Canola Oil, Artificial Color (FD&C Red 40 Lake), Corn Syrup Solids.
Vegan Alternatives
But what if you're craving the delicious combination of chocolate and mint? There are some vegan mint chocolate candy alternatives that will satisfy your sweet tooth. While these aren't exactly like Junior Mints in shape and texture, they do have a similar taste.
- Dark Chocolate Mint Cups by free2B - These are similar to York peppermint patties but without any milk products. Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (Unsweetened Chocolate, Sugar, Cocoa Butter), Powdered Sugar (Cane Sugar, Tapioca Starch), Water, Cocoa Butter, White Rice Flour, Peppermint Oil, Sea Salt.
- Peppermint No-No's by No Whey Foods - These candies don't have the same chocolate covering and mint center like Junior Mints. But they do have the mint chocolate flavor. They are similar to mint m&ms but without the dairy. Ingredients: Vegan Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Rice Syrup Powder, Unsweetened Chocolate, Sunflower Lecithin (Emulsifier), Gum Arabic, Carnauba Wax, Pectin, Spirulina Extract (Color), Fruit and Vegetable Juice (Color), Natural Peppermint Oil.
- Choco Yums Dark Chocolate Mint Candies by YumEarth - These are also similar to mint m&ms and do not have the Junior Mints style creamy mint center. But they do have that amazing mint and chocolate flavors. Ingredients: Semi-sweet chocolate (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin, and vanilla extract), cane sugar, organic chocolate liquor, organic powdered sugar, organic gum acacia, turmeric (color), natural peppermint flavor, organic spirulina (color), colored with concentrate (carrot, hibiscus), organic carnauba wax.
Vegan Junior Mints Recipe
What if you're craving Junior Mints and want that similar shape and texture but not the animal products? Easy...you make them. Veggiebalance.com has a Junior Mints copycat recipe that uses the following vegan ingredients:
- dairy-free milk
- powdered sugar
- peppermint oil or peppermint extract
- vegan chocolate chips
This easy recipe is perfect for when you need that bite-size mint chocolate candy fix! Check out the full recipe with step by step instructions at Homemade Peppermints (Junior Mints Copycat Recipe) by Veggie Balance.
FAQ
Are Junior Mints dairy free?
Yes! Junior Mints are dairy free.
Are Junior Mints gluten-free?
Yes! All flavors and varieties of Junior Mints are gluten-free.
What company owns Junior Mints?
As of 1993, Tootsie Roll Industries manufactures Junior Mints.
Is sugar vegan?
Some vegans worry about white sugar because of the use of bone char. According to Peta.org, "Bone char—often referred to as natural carbon—is widely used by the sugar industry as a decolorizing filter, which allows the sugar cane to achieve its desirable white color."
So cane sugar doesn't technically contain any animal products. But, the desire for sugar to have a pure white color makes some companies use animals bones in the production of it. It's up to you whether or not you consume regular sugar but some strict vegans choose to avoid it.
Are Junior Mints good for you?
As the main ingredients in Junior Mints are a combination of sugar and chocolate, unfortunately no they are not good for you. And don't forget they contain confectioner's glaze which is the secretions from female lac beetles!
Summary
While a box of Junior Mints isn't part of a vegan lifestyle thanks to the confectioner's glaze, there are some delicious vegan alternatives. You can also make homemade Junior Mints which are quick and easy.
Wondering if other kinds of candy are vegan? Check out:
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